Thune Can Pass the SAVE Act Without Eliminating the Filibuster But Refuses to Try
Source: Brianna Lyman. "Thune Has Tried Nothing To Pass The SAVE Act And He's All Out Of Ideas - The Federalist." May 13, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that Senate leader Thune is making excuses for not passing popular voting legislation. She claims he could use existing Senate rules to force a vote with just 51 senators, but he's choosing not to try these options.
Conclusion
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is deliberately avoiding passing the SAVE America Act despite having viable procedural options that don't require eliminating the filibuster
Premises
- The SAVE America Act has already passed the House and enjoys broad bipartisan support (80% of Americans including Democrats support citizenship and ID requirements)
- Thune claims he cannot pass the SAVE Act because Republicans lack votes to eliminate the filibuster
- Senate rules allow Republicans to force a vote with just 51 votes by maintaining a live quorum and forcing Democrats to speak continuously
- Rep. Chip Roy has explained the specific procedural mechanism: Republicans can table amendments, enforce the 2-speech rule, and force Democrats to exhaust their speaking opportunities
- This procedural approach would automatically trigger a final vote at the majority threshold without nuking the filibuster
- Thune has made no attempt to use these existing procedural options despite claiming to support the legislation
Assumptions
- All Republican senators who sponsored or co-sponsored the bill would show up and maintain discipline
- The procedural mechanism described by Rep. Roy is legally and practically viable
- Thune's stated reason (lack of filibuster votes) is his actual reason rather than a cover for other concerns
- Passing the SAVE Act is a priority that justifies using aggressive procedural tactics